Distracted Driving is Deadly!

Majority of new drivers may feel anxiety as they first begin to drive on their own, especially with statistics of car accidents, and drunk drivers rising up. With more accidents happening everyday, it can lead to even more anxiety for beginner drivers. Thus, understanding safe, and defensive driving is essential so that the roads can be a safe place for all drivers.

“In 2019, almost 2,400 teens in the United States aged 13–19 were killed, and about 258,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes.1 That means that every day, about seven teens died due to motor vehicle crashes, and hundreds more were injured” (CDC). Teenagers are more at risk of getting into an accident for several reasons. Reasons that a car crash may occur include distracted driving, offensive driving, drunk driving, speeding, and the list goes on. It is essential that teens participate in a driver’s education program to avoid becoming another statistic.

While in some states, it is mandatory that students are required to take a driver’s education class in high school, other students do not have the privilege of having the same opportunity. Unfortunately, this means that not everyone has access to a driver’s education program since it is not mandatory in all high schools, thus they are missing out on driver’s education that could be beneficial to them. Not to mention that the cost of a driver’s education program outside of high school isn’t always affordable for those who are seeking a driver’s education and license. As a result of this, new driver’s out there aren’t practicing safe and defensive driving because they weren’t taught the importance of it. Rather, they are so eager to start driving and often forget that the road is meant to be shared.

Some steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of deaths related to driving include practicing defensive driving, preaching the importance of wearing a seatbelt as well as driving the speed limit to teenagers, and also showing awareness of the seriousness of deaths by car accidents. Plenty of marketers use scare tactics to get their message across, or to persuade their audience to not do something due to the potential danger of said activity. High school teachers could provide students with informational powerpoints that include up-to-date statistics involving percentages of accidents caused by distracted driving, drunk driving, and offensive driving, as well as including which age groups are negatively impacted by those results. For example, according to the CDC, “In 2019, 31% of male drivers aged 15–20 years and 17% of female drivers aged 15–20 years who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding”. Personally, if I was taught a statistic like that in high school, I would’ve taken that into consideration and practiced driving defensively everyday after that. In a way, using a scare tactic could help students to make better decisions before they decide to drive aggressively, or distractedly.

Another step in reducing the number of deaths related to driving is by making driver’s education programs mandatory in high school. Because most teenagers are not exposed to a driver’s education program until after high school, they are less cautious when driving and sometimes even drive without a license, or permit. When teenagers drive without their license, it implies that they do not know all the rules or laws of the road. This is known as irresponsible driving, and irresponsible driving is just as bad as distracted or drunk driving. Irresponsible driving is selfish because you are not only putting yourself at risk, but others who are sharing the same roads. If an irresponsible teenager is driving and doesn’t understand what it means to yield on a green arrow, they could turn at the wrong moment, and thus cause an incident that could’ve been initially prevented. Successfully allowing teenagers to participate in driver’s education programs could significantly reduce the number of deaths that happen annually as a result of driving.

About two years ago, I was involved in a minor car accident that I, unfortunately, had no control over. My friend, Amanda, invited me to go out with her so that she could do door dash as a way to earn extra income. Amanda was driving, and I was the passenger in her car, just there for fun. Amanda was driving smoothly, until she was about to make a left turn, but first she was supposed to yield because there was a car in front of us waiting to turn. The car in front of us did not have the right of way to turn yet because there was oncoming traffic, so they were stopped. Amanda didn’t step on her breaks in time, and ended up hitting the car in front of us. My life flashed before my eyes because I couldn’t even comprehend what had just happened. I pretty much watched everything happen, and I knew we were about to hit the car in front of us, but it all happened too fast for us to react rationally. The car in front of us actually ended up speeding off. Our guess is that they didn’t have insurance so they had no other choice but to avoid any damage charges. Amanda and I were so shaken up and had no clue what to do at that moment. She ended up taking me home, and the next day I suffered from slight whiplash. She felt really bad about the incident, and I felt bad for her too. I had never been in a car with Amanda as a driver before, but I probably should’ve taken it upon myself to be more cautious of who I have as my driver the next time I go out. I do think that the accident occured because Amanda wasn’t being cautious, and mindful of her surroundings. I’m not putting the blame of the accident on my friend Amanda, however, I do feel that the accident could’ve been prevented if she had been more focused on the road.

In order for everyone to be a safe driver, we must be considerate of those around us and keep each other safe. One way that I practice safe driving is by driving defensively. This means that I respect the speed limit, use my blinkers when merging in lanes and turning, wear my seatbelt, use my horn if necessary, and obey the laws of the road. It’s really not that hard to accomplish all of these steps! As long as drivers practice these steps and incorporate them into their daily routine, it becomes a habit, rather than a chore. Defensive driving is the key in reducing the amount of deaths by driving annually.